The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot)
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780425129616
Edition: Berkley ed.
ISBN: 0425129616
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 208
Publication Date: November 01, 1991
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: August 03, 2004
Studio: Berkley
Features:- ISBN13: 9780425129616
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Editorial Review:Product Description:This is the Christie that started it all--the sublime introduction of her master sleuth, Hercule Poirot, here investigating the mysterious death of a wealthy heiress found murdered behind the locked doors of her boudoir.
Average Rating:
Rating:
-
I have read many Agatha Christie novels since I was a teenager, there is something charming and intelligent and witty about them, with this novel I finally got to read the one that started it all. Book one was actually quite good, I was entranced the whole time I was reading it, the story appears to be quite simple and the obvious is suddenly questioned, the suspect count rises and the real murderer slithers unnoticed, that is until the little Belgian super hero, Hercule Poirot gets involved. Invited by his friend Hastings, he's joined at the great mansion at the Styles Court where Emily Inglethorp runs the house, along with her new husband and her friends and relatives she lives of the riches her deceased husband has left her. On what seems a random evening she suffers horribly and ends up dead, with her current will in question and some strange things happening between the quests and the family members, there is sudden distrust of some of the members, but those who seem guilty and those are actually guilty are two different things, it's up to Poirot to stretch his little legs and big brain and get to the bottom of things. There is greed and jealousy and hidden feelings that surface only to explode in everyone's face, the fun has began!
The book was a lot of fun, not only is it a fast and captivating read, it makes the reader think quite a bit. I took my time reading it and loosely going over the clues in my head. Upon reading the ending I was off in my decision of the guilty suspect but never the less I loved the ending and the final explanation, some clues might not be as crystal clear as others but there are many of them; reading is fun when the field is wide, not when it's thin and obstructed by lack of ideas and this novel certainly had me guessing all over the place. Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors because every time I read her books I feel a jolt of joy, I get so much out of them and nothing written in these days will ever compare, so to me they are relics from the past that shine even brighter than many brand new books written these days. The mystery is fun but the whole feel of this book is even better, the old fashioned ideas and culture adds something whimsical to all of her works. Every time I pick up a Hercule Poirot novel I know I will have a nice time, so far I haven't been disappointed as I have read them half my life and will continue to do so. Currently I had to start book number two in the series, I am on such a happy high from the first one that my thirst for mystery hasn't been quenched yet, so I'm off to read "Murder on the links" and see where the adventure takes me, from what I head it's Paris and the crime is quite good..
- Kasia S.
Rating:
-
"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is the first published book of Agatha Christie's and the first book where she introduces her well-known private detective Hercule Poirot.
The fact that the book is Christie's first effort is apparent. It definitely lacks the finesse of her later works. The main thing that drags down this otherwise standard Christie story is the trial proceedings. It would have been wiser to edit out that part of the book altogether as it added very little to the investigation.
However, the signature marks of Christie's books (that I personally enjoy so much) - the murder in a rich upper-class English home, family secrets, minute clues and a murderer you can never guess - are already present. Plus, the narrator of the book - Hastings - is a lovely storyteller - very straight-forward, albeit not too smart, funny, and always in search for the next girl to fall in love with. Reminded me of P.G. Wodehouse's Berty Wooster, actually.
A nice book, not Christie's best, but enjoyable enough.
Rating:
-
The novel itself is a classic and a masterpiece. That said, you should pony up for a better edition. Simply put, the novel includes several diagrams and reproductions of handwritten notes -which are not included in this Kindle edition. So, you pretty much have to get a copy of the physical book, or do without important clues to the solution of the mystery. I have read other Kindle books which include diagrams, drawings, etc., so it can easily be done. This particular publisher/editor didn't bother, and the result is a less-than-satisfactory reading experience. Five stars for the novel; 1 star for the Kindle edition.
Rating:
-
The Mysterious Affair At Styles is my first reading of an Agatha Christi book. I chose this one only because it was her first book and the initial introduction of Hercule Poirot. If I had to choose again, I would probably not choose this book as my first introduction to her, because her later works presented a much more refined and talented form of writing.
This work, despite its presentation flaws, did establish Poirot as a detective to be admired and respected for his talents. It was for this reason that I never figured out why he would be associated with a character like Arthur Hastings, who appeared, in this book at least, to be little more than a stupid, ridiculous person, a dummy, and an idiot with an IQ that would barely match the low end of normal. I ended the book with the distinct hope that Ms. Christi would kill that character off.
One of the other things I found difficult with this work was that it presented too many clues and overwhelmed the reader with so much information that it was difficult to follow some of it. Even so, I found that I was pretty close to the correct solution in the end, though not completely dead on and not for the right reason. Maybe my intuition was working.
Since I am reviewing the Kindle edition of this book, I should take the time to point out that the conversion to digital format was very well done. There were no misspelled words or words that were run together. The one thing that was missing, however, were the sketches or pictures that were referenced in the story. While an annoyance, this was not a big problem as they were not really necessary to understanding what was happening.
All of that said, I feel no particular need to review the story line itself, because I don't want to take away the pleasure of reading the book for yourself. Suffice it to say that the murder is done, the clues are presented, the possible suspects are many, and poirot gets his killer. It is for you now to see if you can solve the case along with him. While you are doing that, I will see if I can find another of Ms. Christi's works to enjoy.
Rating:
-
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was not only the first Hercule Poirot book, but also the first book of Agatha Christie's career. Poirot arrives as a a refugee fleeing from the overthrow of his country during World War I. Doing so he arrives at Styles manor where he meets up with a few people he has met and would become a great part of his career in books, Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp. While the story relies as much on method as motive and psychology (later psychology would play a larger part in solving a murder than clues...the Sherlock Holmes approach), it is still an excellent read. For any Poirot fans or those that think they may like mysteries, the Mysterious Affair at Styles is one for the bookshelf. As far as the book itself goes, the print is larger than some paperback editions and the pages are larger, making it easier to hold with one hand or set down on a table. It doesn't take as much effort to keep it completely open for reading near the spine.
Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.
